


Rent

by Queenofwonderland



Series: Swan Queen Prompts [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A Happy Ending, F/F, I promise, Prompt Fic, True Love, its cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2019-05-23 16:56:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14938233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenofwonderland/pseuds/Queenofwonderland
Summary: Prompt from @_unicornkisses on twitter.Emma is late on her landlord rent and the only way Regina will let her off the hook is if she babysits her kid.





	Rent

Emma had just got back from working an 18-hour shift at Granny’s dinner. Although the job didn’t really pay as well as she’d like, it covered the bills, most of the time. This month had been rough though. Granny could only pay a minimum wage if she wanted to keep the business because she made everything herself and used most of the money she made to buy all of her ingredients. She did treat her staff like family though, and to Emma she really was the only family she had, and Ruby of course. Granny had taken Emma in when she had run away from her latest foster home and Ruby had begged for Emma to be her sister. It just seemed to work for them and Emma had been part of the family for 12 years.

Emma had decided to find a place of her own though. It was a quaint little apartment, 1 bed, and just big enough for her and Ruby on occasion. Her neighbours were lovely, and she was lucky that none of them made much noise and all kept to themselves. However, her landlord, or landlady should she say, was a mysterious woman. She didn’t interact with Emma much, but she did live in the building with her son. She was a tough lady but nice enough, unless you were late on your rent, then she could be evil. Some of the other residents had nicknamed her the ‘Evil Queen’ but Emma understood that everyone should pay on time to make it easier.

This month was a little different however. Emma was low on money and Granny couldn’t pay Emma everything she had earned until they got this big event over with the next week. Her rent was due today. She had collapsed on her couch just waiting for the knock on her door. She had only been late with her rent once before and she knew has this went. If the money wasn’t received by 6.30pm, her landlady would be there like a hawk, expecting you to hand it over. Emma’s clock read 6.29pm and she sighed before walking to the door. At exactly 6.30 she opened the door to find the lady herself, Regina Mills, dressed to kill, with one hand on her hip and the other raised to knock on the door. “Ah, Miss Swan, it seems you were expecting me.” Emma sighed again and shifted on her feet, handing over the envelope that only held half of her rent. Regina started counting it and raised an eyebrow. “Miss Swan, are you suddenly incapable of counting? This is only half of what you should be paying.” The stern voice that she held made Emma feel like she was being scolded by one of her old teachers again. Clearly exhausted Emma replied, “I’m sorry Regina, I don’t get paid the rest until next week, I can give it to you next Friday when I get it.” Regina almost smirked and scoffed crossing her arms in front of her. “That just won’t do I’m afraid.” Emma looked down thinking if she could ask her friend Lacey if she could borrow the rest when Regina spoke again. “Look, my babysitter has just cancelled on me last minute and I have somewhere I need to be. If you can watch my son for me, for no more than an hour, I’ll let you give me the rest later.” Emma’s head shot up to face the brunette in front of her, utter disbelief on her face.

She had met Regina’s son, Henry, a few times. He seemed sweet, very quiet and didn’t take well to strangers, but he and Emma had some sort of connection. The one thing she knew for certain though was that Regina Mills never trusted anyone with her son unless she had done extensive checks on them before had and only then if Henry actually agreed to it. “Really? That’s all I have to do?” Emma couldn’t believe this, did Regina really trust her enough to leave her with her son, and did Henry actually like her? Emma was thrilled yet confused at the same time. “Don’t look so shocked Miss Swan, I would even consider it normally, but Henry asked if you would and I don’t want to let him down.” Emma could tell that Regina was nervous about this, but Emma couldn’t help but beam at her. “I would absolutely love to Regina, Henry is such a sweet kid, I could never say no to him, or you.” Without thinking much into what she had just said Emma told Regina that she need to change quickly and then she would be up at her apartment to look after Henry and with that Regina was off back up to her son.

Emma felt like a kid again spending time with Henry. He was only six and he was very quiet for a little bit after his mom left, but soon enough he and Emma had bonded more than anyone would think possible. By the time Regina had arrived home, Emma had cleaned up after them and had fallen asleep next to Henry when she was reading him a bedtime story. Regina wondered why it was so quiet and when she saw the way Henry had curled up in Emma’s side on his small bed, she couldn’t help but let her heart flutter. She gently woke the sleeping blonde and repositioned Henry so that he wouldn’t wake up from Emma moving off the bed. They both walked into the kitchen are in silence before Emma spoke. “You have such a great kid Regina, he kind of reminds me of myself at that age.” Emma smiled at first and then grimaced a little as well, which Regina noticed. “If you ever need me to look after him again, I would love to.” Regina thanked Emma as they walked towards the front door and Regina opened it she smiled softly, and they said their goodbyes. 

Emma had begun to look after Henry a lot more now, Regina, and apparently Henry kept asking for Emma when Regina had to be somewhere she couldn’t take him. Henry adored Emma, Regina could tell just by how easily and quickly he had warmed to her. He didn’t have many friends and he was normally a very shy boy except around his mum, and now Emma. Both women had become very fond of each other and had even started doing more things together as friends. They would take Henry to the park, they had picnics, they went to the museum, but Emma’s favourite was also the Friday night dinners. It had only been a one off to start with, Regina had come back early, and Emma hadn’t had a chance to feed Henry yet, so Regina decided to cook and let Emma stay. When it happened again, and again, it became a regular thing, with a silent acknowledgment between the two of them.

3 years later on their wedding day, they looked out at all of their friends, hand in hand, with Henry next to them, pure love radiating from them at the cheers and confetti being thrown around them. Regina leans in to her wife and whispers so only they can hear “I’m glad you were late on your rent, my love.” Lips met and everything around them grew silent. In that moment it was just the two of them and their son. Their happily ever after had only just begun.


End file.
